Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-06-17
NANCY DEDMAN.


feet and over to the Downs you see his
very marks his claws as where he grabbed
as he fell And the deeds done round about
were his own and no mistake.
"l'm thinking now Of tale as is not 50
known as il should be. That stone before
ye tells of the poor sailor chap as was muir
dered here, for his money no dOubt-com-
ing from Portsmouth he were but no
stone nor no book. so far as | know, has
spoke for Nancy Dedman.
Hers was a death indeed. can't speak
to the partiklars, for | had it as it were
handed down through 80 years and more
but | won't tell you lie if l can help it
and for all haven't it chapter and verse,
it's wonderful lfesome, too.
"The Dedmans lived, when they was TO
home, in a bit of place in the Combe
there. You might pass within yard of it
and not see it, so grandfather said They
was of smuggling crew. There was
chain Of them smugglers, from Portsmouth
all the way, and a wild set they was. They
had the country on their side, though, and
the coastguardses was thought no better Of
than they deserved. There was two broth
ers, Dick and Joe Dedman, and their faith
err and Nancy was the one girl. She was
a beauty by all accounts-very wild, too,
and as rare one at smuggling as any Of
them and she would ride bareback on any
horse, and be out all night and day and
many's the time when she's kept the coast
guardses at bay, and done many a bit of
business as wanted womans wit and Il
mans strength.
''She must have been still lass when
there was news Of a rare lot Of spirits and
baccy lit was the war time) and the word
was passed along the line from Portsmouth
TO Hinde Head, and beyond too. in course.
And the kings men got wind on it, and
they made ready for fray-they thought
as how they would break the neck of this
smuggling business more fools they as if
poor men was to be put down and denied
their rights so easy Well, it seems as
they'd planned to put so many at each of
the smuggling posts, all ready-and they
said they would settle ALL and easy too, ex-
cept the Dedman lot, on account Of Dick Ded-
man he was "a wonderful power Of man
They'd had warrant agin him ever so
long, but never could lay hand on him, nor
find out where he put up. So one of the
kings men Ia sharp young fellow, whose
father were a farmer, but lately come over
10 this side Of Godalming), he took the Job
And he dropped down one day on Nancy
Dedman in the Combe, and made out as he
were a sailor on his way to Lunnon and
he asked for bite and a drink. And she
looked him up and down, and her decide
ment were that he meant no harm, so she
asked him in and gave it he. And he talked
from one TO tother of foreign parts and
the wars and Nancy, she were terrible
took up with it all and he had, they said,
way with him, and he were an honest
young chap, too, but for his trade Well,
without 50 much as her finding out, she
gets to tell he that she is alone till the night,
till the old man come, and that he and the
| lads was away; Joe to Guilford and Dick
10 the mill over by Haslemere he was but
lately come back and keeping quiet giving
his work, and every one was on his side,
and would not betray he to any of the
kings men-she, who was that sharp they
called her 'Hawk-eyed Nance she We're
drawed on and on-and he wound up with
more tales, and went on his way, leaving
| her thinking on the ladies', and wishing
she might see the sailor again.
But he went back to his mates, and they
followed Dick up, and sure enough they
nailed him at the mill and he were warranted
and throw'd into jail. Well, the fray come
| off, and the coastguardses beat the snug
glers all along the line and Joe Dedman
| was killed in the fray, and the old man
swore as he would track the traitor who
told ON Dick, and take his life for his son
| Joe for had Dick been there he would
have made one too many for the devils of
| kingss men. Nancy hadn't thought as
how it were she no, not when at the Hasle-
mere Fairing she met the sailor, who said
as how he'd settled down with his father,
old Father Kemp, 70 Goldaming-which
was truth, for he'd giv'd up the coast
| guardsing.
Zone way and another they was always
meeting, and young Kemp he lost his heart
10 she, and they say as he told his father as
he must have Nancy Dedman or he would
be off to the war. The old farmer shook d
his head but he could never give his son
any denial and when once he brought Nan
cy TO see the old man, he said he were
bound to confess that Nancy had the ways
of lady, for all she were so brown, and
was of the Dedman lot 1t made deal of
talk, but old Dedman, he took no heed till
one day-it were soon after Dick come
home; | never heard who gotten him out,
but it were soon after. Well, one day Nan
cy spoke up that she was going TO get mar
ried and TO young Farmer Kemp There
was a kick-up the old man and Dick had
set their minds to give Nancy to one of
their crew to Portsmouth to keep her in
the trade and to keep themselves fair with
the head crew there. And the whole crew
was mad after Nancy Dedman. Nancy
stood to it that she'd marry young Kemp ,
and they gave her a time of it a reg'lar
persecution as ever you find in Fox's Mar
tyrs, short of the stake, Wen say But
Nancy were none of they kittle sort she
stood to her say-and one day when they
was out of the house but not far off, for
they never left she alone-Jim Kemp crawl
ed in from among the bracken (she adver-
tised he of the danger) and tells her as his
father was just dead, and he must have an
end of this, and he'd come and take her
away by force if need be and some of his
old mates and as she was puzzling how he
could get a lot of sailors all of a sudden
you see she knowd nought of the coast
guards business), Dick looked in at the
door and his face was the DEVILS own as
it flashed to he that there stood the man as
had nailed him in the mill and had him To
prison. And Nancy saw him and Jim
saw him, and turned milkwhite Dick 5
look was enough TO curdle your very blood.
Traitor Nance = said he so you were a
carrying on and we never know'd it and
it was as told on your own flesh and blood,
and your fathers curse and mine too
Hold there, cried young Jim, hitting Dick
ON the mouth to stop his curses (they were
afraid of curses them, hold there She
never knew'-and he poured it all out as
how it happened, and as how he was al
ways thinking ON Nancy, and so giv'd uI
the coastguardsing, part ON her account and
part on his fathers. But afore he had end
ed Dick were gone, and Nancy was all on
a heap, with nought to say-but her look
cut up young Jim and no mistake, l won't
say but that he deserved it-for he'd been
! lnuhla xtitb thpouUb Iowa m, bar ,,S
doubt, but it's allays best to be straight,
and so he felt too late and that had he
spoke truth when he told his love he could
but ha' lost her once, and now he had lost
her twice and the losing ON her respect
were worse nor the losing she.
"She were a wonderful power of WON
an for all as was in her, and she'd had lit
tie love except from Joe, and he We're dead
So she said TO Jim she forgave him.. but il
were all to an end between they she'd low,
he all the days, but she couldn't wed her
brothers murderer. That were all.
"Well, the next ON it was that when
they found as she'd given he up, they be
lieved she had nought to say to it, and wa
kind to her agin as kind as they ever was
and that waTn't much but she was unaisy
and knew them too well to think as they
'ud let Jim Kemp be. Whyever Dick hadn'
killed him there and then she could not tell
But one night she were to bed, and sh,
heard some un come into the room next
her room were but lean to and they SLEPT
in the big room. And she heard a deal o
whispering, and then they took TO drinking
and their voices gets louder, and she hears
Kemp's name and the night after mex
named, and back from Weyhill fair, anC
a-nigh his gate, and ten on us, and tn,
rest will be there tomorrow we four anl
they six that's ten And then they get
nosier, and Dick, who always kept his head
hushed some one ON 'em up, and turne,